Superman Takes Flight in First Man of Steel Trailer [VIDEO]

First footage of Zack Snyder's Superman reboot gives brief glimpse of hero taking to the sky.

The first teaser trailer has been released for Man of Steel, the forthcoming reboot of Superman.

Director Zack Snyder keeps his cards close to his chest with this first glimpse of footage, revealing a very different style and tone to previous Superman incarnations.

The footage shows Henry Cavill, who plays the world's most famous superhero, sporting a beard and working on a fishing trawler. Haunting music plays as shots of a young Clark Kent are shown, while his adopted father, Jonathan, played by Kevin Costner, gives him advice about who he wants to be when he grows up.

We all know that, as Jonathan says, Clark is "not just anyone" and will grow up to be the titular Man of Steel. However the clip only gives a tantalisingly brief shot of Superman flying at the end of the trailer.

Snyder has marked himself out as a talented visual stylist, his adaptation of the Watchman graphic novel showing that he has the ability to stamp his own mark on a film while still capturing the essence of the source material.

Christopher Nolan, who is currently reaping the box office benefits of his spectacular Batman trilogy, shared scriptwriting duties on Man of Steel with David S Goyer. The pair's clear talent for adaptation, and the scope for change provided by a reboot, has given many Superman fans high hopes for an exciting new chapter in their favourite hero's story.

Joining Cavill in the film's cast are Russell Crowe, who plays his alien father Jor-El, Amy Adams, who plays Lois Lane and Michael Shannon, who is understood to play General Zod, the villain of the piece.